Shades of Jade
by Pernshinigami
Summary: Ever wonder what the candidate's are doing behind the dragonrider's backs? A peek into Ista Weyr's candidate barracks. Its party time and the boys are causing trouble! PernMUSH timeline. Alt Pern.


MUSH fanfic: Set in the PernMUSH altpern. Meaning that thread was /not/ destroyed. When it was discovered that women could impress green, blue and brown dragons in addition to queens, it was decided to try and Search more women to bring up the numbers of riders in the Weyrs. It is now the tenth interval. 

Summary: Ever wonder what the candidates are doing behind the dragonrider's backs? A peek into Ista Weyr's candidate barracks.

* * *

Release the light.  
Don't give up, be strong!  
Now let 'em out, until they reach someone.  
The light of Glory lies just beyond here, it's the story we all create together.  
Look up at the light of the stars in the night sky.  
- Orange Range, Asterisk

"Durn guys clothes." The candidate growled. She was struggling with the tight leather wherhide as she hopped first one way, then the other. The stylish outfit in South Boll red and white was currently the bane of Jazra's existance.

Previously a hunter from South Boll with short black hair, a vicious looking red longbow, steely eyes and a bad attitude, Jazra the hunter, now Jazra the candidate, was completely and totally pissed off at her current prey. This prey just so happened to be a pair of burgundy socks of a fine wool knit. After rooting around under the cot with her skinny rear end in the air, she found the socks and stood like a wherry in the mudflats on one foot, hauling on first one sock, then the other. But when she moved to pull on sock number two, she slipped on the stone floor of Ista Weyr's candidate barracks and landed on her butt. Cursing loudly and inventively at her bruised pride, Jazra made every attempt to straighten the men's gather outfit.

Red wherhide pants and a tight wherhide jerkin covered her white blouse, with frills around the neck and the cuffs of the sleeves. A pair of simple red moccasins covered her feet once the "stupid, shelling, wherry brained, dumbheaded socks" were finally on and the candidate's equilibrium and dignity restored.

The other female candidates seemed to be having similar troubles. Caitlyn, formerly a smith, was fussing with a frilly skit. It seemed, at last, to be too much for her, as she grumbled "I give UP!" And crawled under the furs of her cot. A moment later she crawled out wearing fresh trous and a tunic. Meanwhile, Noemie, easily the most levelheaded of the group of girls now struggling to get their outfits on, was already finished. She'd at least had the foresight to get dressed before the others. Jazra glared in her direction, mentally berating herself for not having the common sense to finish her chores early enough to get ready without panicking.

One of the boys, Kaylon, just lay back, already dressed, and seemed to be letting his eyes wander, specifically to the girl candidate's cots. That was another indignity for Jazra, the fact that the barracks were Co-ed got the tempramental candidate annoyed on a regular basis. Maduk could be heard commenting to Kaylon in a low voice. "The girls seem a bit nervous huh?"

Jazra's favorite red boot seemed to fly without wings across the room of its own accord. Unfortunately, bending down to pick up the object resulted in her pants coming undone and falling down enough to show her skivies. Jazra growled, then asked sweetly. "Do you want to be skewered at this feast?"

Of course, it would have seemed more threatening if Jazra's pants weren't hanging off her hips and showing her undergarments. She used the edge of her foot to lift a belt into arms reach and buckled them on.

Kaylon ducked the boot and shrugged. "I don't see why, its just a candidate dinner. Not like they can actually flirt or do anything. Hey, you're going to look pretty funny with one boot and those baubles of yours."

While they were talking, Caitlyn heaved a sigh at Jazra's struggles with her clothing. "Boys..." Is all she levels at Maduk and Kaylon's whispered conversation.

Bendel was waiting for Kaylon and Maduk and the others already. Jazra noted yet another common sense person. But come on, this was a party, a formal party for the candidates to meet the Weyr and the Weyr to greet them. Whyever would one want to /not/ wear something at least semiformal? Really, it was bad taste.

Maduk started laughing at Kaylon over the boot. "She nearly got you with that one!!!" Caitlyn's clothing woes are given a look. "That bad are we?"

Kaylon muttered softly so that he wouldn't get another boot flung in his direction. "Yeah? You're just upset because you can't have any of this..."

Maduk began to cackle at Kaylon's remark, though he quickly covered it with a cough. A few seconds later he whispered to Kaylon. "Maybe quieter next time?"

Kaylon only smirked in reply.

Caitlyn heard, even if Jazra didn't. "I don't know if you boys get better or worse with advancing age. But one thing is for certain, you don't get any smarter." Her eyes glinted dangerously at Kaylon.

Jazra hadn't heard the "can't have any of this" remark. But juding from Caitlyn's comment to Kaylon, she knew what had been said. She belted her hunting knife and looked meaningfully at Kaylon, grinding the blade edge against the sheath to make the noise louder. "You know, I just might spot a wild wherry on this trip." She said signifigantly.

Kaylon blew some kisses Jazrawards. "You know, I've been thinkin' you should look up my ma. She's pretty good with knives too." Jazra wasn't certain if he missed the threat or if he was just ignoring her. "Besides, you gotta loosen up a little Jaz. You'll never get a man that way."

Noemie piped up at Caitlyn's jewelery, for it was well known that Cait and Jaz had a lot of it between them. Caitlyn was a jeweler back at the smithcraft hall and Jazra's family made and carved glass. She seemed a little nervous, but watched Caitlyn put on her jewelery and said "I don't usually give thought to baubles, but I kinda wish I had some to wear tonight." Nobody seemed to hear in the commotion that was starting up.

"Oh?" Maduk replied to Caitlyn. "I wouldn't be so harsh on us. If you girls could switch point of views with us right now, you would see how entertaining it is to watch you two right now. Troubling clothing is hardly a reason to get mad no?"

Cait didn't answer, instead turning to her quieter neighbor in the barracks. "you can wear the other bracelet I made a few days ago Noemie. The links are different, but its still pretty. I don't have a problem with you borrowing it, as long as you keep it clean and in good condition."

Jazra sighed, disgustedly and dug for her jewelery box. "Noemie, you can borrow some of the glass jewelery that my dad gave me. I'm sure I have something in here that you can /keep/," Then, absently and with a sidelong glance to Kaylon. "And Kaylon, you realize that if there wasn't a rule against fighting you'd have a handprint on your face right?"

Bendel cut in then, shifting idly. "How much longer are we supposed to wait!" Other candidates were now nodding agreement interspersed with mutters of "hurry up!" "lets get moving!" "What's keeping you?"

Kaylon just laughed at Jazra. "Maybe, maybe not Jaz. But I'd have a kiss to. Sides, no rule says we can't... uh... you know, bend the rules."

Caitlyn grinned at Jazra's offer of jewelery. It was common knowledge that the South Boll candidate /hated/ jewelery, and that her parents tried to make her wear it anyway. Even halfway across Pern. She took Jazra's side and said wolfishly. "Lucky for you we /can't/ fight, or /I'd/ likely dispense with the slap and leave you with a black eye."

Maduk got bored and turned to Bendel. "Hrm. I think we should probably get going soon actually. Are they coming to get us? Or are we to go find them?

Kaylon muttered under his breath, standing and tossing Jazra the book, which was caught neatly. "I'm a shakin, I'm a shakin."

Bendel just shook his head, jammed his hands into his pockets, and paused to listen to Maduk. "I'm not sure. But I'm going to see if I can find out where it is. I don't feel like getting stuck in a fight."

Kaylon left then.

Noemie looked from Jazra to Caitlyn, grateful for the loan of the jewelery. "Oh!" She said in surprise. "May I borrow your bracelet Caitlyn? And when we get back I'll have a look at all your glass jewelery, Jazra -- what you're wearing is beautiful!" Yeah, she got that alot. The only pair of earrings she really liked were the long, dangling posts of a green dragon, which she was currently wearing.

The riders came, and while the boys cleared out Jazra turned to Caitlyn and Noemie. "How about we go party girls? Everybody ready?" She turned towards the door and paused for her friends.

Caitlyn nodded and grinned to Noemie. She passed her the bracelet. "enjoy it - Its the first piece I've made anyone but me has ever worn." She said proudly, but anxiously as well since it was her creation.

Noemie grinned. "In that case! I feel completely honored! I suppose that makes me ready, then... shall we?"

"I'm as ready as I'll ever get." Caitlyn sighed and nodded to Jazra. "Time to present our fine selves." She agreed as the three girls moved out of the barracks.


End file.
